Automatic retaining-valve.



J. M. HAMM.

AUTOMATIC RETAINING VALVE.

Patentgd May I4, |90I.

(Application med Mar. 9, 1899.) (No Model.)

[NVE/WOR:

Affari/ey THE mums PETERS C0. PHoTaLiTNo.. wAsHxNGroN. D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JACOB M. HAMM, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RETAlNlNG-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,335, dated May 14,1901.

Application filed March 9, 1899.

T @ZZ whom it nfl/ty concern/.f

Be it known that I, JACOB M. HAMM, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing VZVat Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Retaining-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved airbrake appliance, and embodiesthe employment of' a retaining-valve of peculiar construction', which isconnected to the exhaust of the triple valve and to the train-line, bythe aid of which the engineer may set the brakes and maintain a constanteven pressure within the brake-cylinders while descending long grades.

In the practical application kof air-brakes as applied to freight-carsit has been foundnecessary to 'provide each car with what is "known inthe art as a retaining valve or cock, which when closed will retain acon- -stant pressure withinl the brake-cylinder .,.without leakage.

This"`retaining -valve or cock requires the service of a brakeman bothto close and open the same and is used when the train is passing down along steep grade,

the said valve or cock being in no wise undertlie control of theengineer. When the train is thus moving down a grade and a constantapplication of the brakes is required, the

' brakemen set or operate the retaining valves or cocks upon the severalcars, so as to retain the constant pressure, and when itis necessaryto-release the brakes all of such retainv ing valves or cocks must beopened. This 4o opening and closing of these valves is a constant sourceof hard and dangerous labor to the trainmen, as itnecessit-atestheclimbing of the men over box,at, and othercarsto open or close thevarious-valves; and the main object of my invention is thereforetoconstruct a device or apparatus by means of` which the engineermayat'will operate the said retaining-valves either 'to open or closethe same when the brakes are applied or re.-

leased, thus obviating the necessity of the dangerous' and difficultwork of the trainmen and placing the control of the entire train SerialNo. 708,321. LNo model.)

under the hands of the engineer under all circrunstances.V

In describing the invention 'in detail referencewill be had to theaccompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, and whereinlike numerals will be employed to design ate like parts through theseveral views, in whichl Figure l is a vertical sectional view of myimproved apparatus adapted to be employed in lieu of theretaining-valve, such as is now generally employed on all freight-cars.Fig.. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an underneath plan kview. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view showing the device coupled up tothe controlling-valve, the train-line, and triple Valve. Fig.` 5 is ahorizontal sectionalview of the two-way cock of the controllingvalve. Inthe accompanying drawings, l indicates the valve-casing, having at oneend a threaded' opening 2, by means of which the same be connected by apipe 2/ to the trainwhich valvefthe train-line 18 also connects.- Thisvalve-casing has. a similar opening 4' in one side for connection withthe exhaust-pipe 4' of the triple valve 20. Arranged within pipe chamberin thejtriple valve 20, lwith this casing l is a pistonpl, which has avertical movement and is connected to a valve `11 by a stem l2.' Thepiston .13 and valve ll are arranged within the. casing intermediatey onthe threaded opening 4 ina manner that one will balance the other.l The,valve l1 is of a particular construction, consisting of an annularcylindrical integral body'c'apable of moving within the casing 1andinclosing a spiral spring 10, used to keep the valve tightly seated.This spring l0 is of a'vstrength to overcome any given pressure used inthe train-pipe 18 andV can be regulatedv asto stension by means'of aplate 9 `and a screw.-7,'to

gether with a cap, covering said screw and acting as a lockl to set jorretain the screw in .any position, as is obvious. A threaded capv Iparts in position. 'Y The casing'lhas formed lar 15 is closedV at itsouter end by a threaded cap 16, through which the stem` 16 oi" the valveoperates, said stem having the tensionspring 13 arranged thereon betweenthe valve and the cap. The casing 1 is provided above ,the opening etand the exhaust-port with ventopenings 17' for a purpose as will behereinafter described.

In order to permit the engineer to have control of the retaining-valves,I provide in the engine two governors or feed-valves 22 23, the formerset fora pressure of, say, sixty pounds and the latter set for anincreased pressure-say, for example, seventy pounds. The train-pipe 18is connected to the engineers valve 21, and this valve is connected bypipe 28 to a twoway valve-casing 26, the latter connected by a pipe 25to the governor 22 and by a pipe 25 to the governor 23. A

two-way valve or cock 27 is arranged in this casing and controls thepassage of air from and to the two governors. These governors orfeed-valves are connected to the air-reservoir 29 in the engine. I mayprovide the train-line 18 with a cock 18, by means of which the air maybe cut out from each triple Valve.

In practice the spring 10 is set for seventy pounds pressure, vand in anapplication of the brakes when it is desired to hold the brakes for acertain period the cock 2G is opened, so as to pass the pressure fromgovernor 22, set at sixty pounds, and this pressure utilized for theapplication of the brakes, the spring 10, having a` tension of seventypounds, serving to maintain the sixty'pounds pressure and prevent anyexhaust from the triple valve. When it is desired to release the brakes,the engineer operates the cock 27 so as to close the port to thegovernor 22 (sixty pounds) and open the port to the governor 23,(seventy pounds.) This pressuret e., seventy pounds-will overcome thetension of the spring 10, lift the valve 11 from its bed, and permit theexhaust to pass out through the vent-openings 17', formed in the casing1', these vent-openings being normally closed by the valve.

rllhe small release-valve on the side of the casing may be set so as tonormally retain any pressure desired in the retaining-valve. Ordinarilya train -line pressure of seventy pounds is employed, this being thestandard train-line pressure, when, therefore, in making a fullapplication of the brakes but fifty pounds braking power is obtainable;but by the use of my device I start with the seventy pounds train-linepressure, then cut in the sixty-pound train-line governor, stillretaining the seventy pounds in the train-line, and make a fullapplication, which will run the train-line pressure down to fifty poundsand give fifty pounds braking power. I then place the brake-handle inrunning position, so as to increase the train-line pressure to sixtypounds, and make another application, the sixty-pound governorpreventing the pressure being increased above that point, and iu orderto release it becomes necessary to cut in the seventy-pound governor orplace the handle of the engiueers valve on full release. This obviatesthe necessity of the engineer ever placing his brake-valve on lap. Itwill also be observed that a gradual release may be obtained by suchdevice. For instance, when passing down a gradein which a dip occurs Icut in the seventy-pound governorafter the train has passed the dip andbecomes slower, so as to run the train-line pressure up to, say,sixty-live pounds, andthe valve will release gradually untillthe trainmoves faster, when I cut in the sixty-pound feed and make a slightapplication to close the valve, there being thus no danger of runningshort of air, as is now sometimes the case.

Having fully described my invention, what `I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In'a device of the character described, `the combination with theengineers valve,and the two governors connected thereto, said ,governorsbeing set at different pressures, of the triple valve, the train lineconnected Ether-ete and to the engineers valve, andare- Itaining-valveconnected to the triple valve iandcontrolled through the engineersvalve, substantially as described; 2. In a device of the characterdescribed, 'the combination of the triple valve,'the train- `pipe, theretaining-valve connected to the triple valve, the engineers valveconnected to lthe train-pipe, and a pair of governors connected to theengineers valve, one oi' said governors being set at greater pressurethan the jother, with means intermediate the governors land theengineers valve whereby the retainling-valve may be controlled throughthe medium of the engineers valve. In testimony whereof I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB M. HAMM.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. MCAFEE, JOHN REED.

IOO

